The Enemy
by MsBigBad
Summary: Post 3x14 Elena deals with the aftermath of the ball and the decisions she made there. Including what she said to Damon, and the deal she made with Esther.
1. Tell Me Not of Heartbreak

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TVD! If I did…well… 3x14 would have been a bit different. And Ian would have been naked :D

**The Enemy**

**By: MsBigBad**

**Chapter 1 Tell Me Not of Heartbreak**

_Give me hope in silence  
>It's easier, it's kinder<br>Tell me not of heartbreak  
>It plagues my soul, it plagues my soul<em>

_The Enemy- Mumford and Sons_

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><p>This had been a night from hell. Elena's emotions had been all over the board and she had both done and said so many stupid things that she just wanted to hit the rewind button on the whole evening and rip up that ball invitation the second it landed on her doorstep, unfortunately, she could not do that. She had to suck it up and deal with the consequences. Like the fact that she had willingly lent her blood to Esther so, that she could kill her own children. Sure, that meant that if Esther aka mama original did succeed Klaus would be dead, forever dead, but then again so would the whole original family. This included the one original who she did not mind so much Elijah, especially since he had saved her life mere hours before she made the deal with his mother. She looked Elijah right in the eyes and flat out lied to him. His doom was now sealed with that glass of champagne. Who was she becoming that she would sacrifice an entire family just to get rid of Klaus? Add mass genocide to her resume of awesome Doppelganger abilities. She was just trying to keep everyone safe, which seemed to be her mantra lately.<p>

Amongst other unpleasant thoughts, the vision of Katherine came to mind. Was she becoming a true Patrova after all? Was she really keeping everyone safe or pushing them away and saving her own skin because she was scared? The idea of being Klaus' human blood bag for the rest of her life was not the ideal future she'd had in mind while growing up. Though nothing in her life had turned out quite as she had imagined it when she was a child or even as she had imagined it a few years ago.

Everything in her life was slowly falling apart, leaving her raw and tired. Every person that she had ever loved has been taken from her. First her mom and dad that night on Wickery Bridge, John, Jenna. Too many people she had buried and cried for in her short life.

Stefan had left her only to come back as someone else. He was not even a shadow of the caring person that she had fallen in love with and she was beginning to see that he could never be that person again as hard as he might try. Too much had happened to ignore and all hope of reconciliation had also faded tonight. She'd found herself desperate tonight to make Stefan feel something for her again, but she could see the deadness in his eyes when he admitted that he could, that deep down he did, yet he didn't want to care. The last thing she wanted to bring Stefan was pain and every step she took toward him the more she realized that the more humane thing would be to just finally give up.

Her house was eerily quiet with Ric still recovering at the hospital. The absence of her brother hit her hard at times like these. The house of her childhood, which used to harbor laughter and the constant noise of a family, was now silent. Jeremy was gone, living a new life. Living a life devoid of the supernatural, without threat or violence, a life it seemed she would never have.

And now the final nail in the proverbial coffin. The one person she had taken for granted, who she knew would always be there, Damon, she had broken him beyond repair tonight, in true Katherine Pierce style.

She had betrayed his trust. She had plotted against him with Stefan; my God, she had asked Stefan to break his own brother's neck! All of this Damon was angry about, but she knew, she knew going into her plan that he would forgive her. He always did, but what she did next she was almost certain was unforgivable. He'd told her, practically shouted at her what she'd known all along, that he loved her, and what had she done but throw that love back in his face, just like Katherine. The second the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to take them back. She could see the hurt register in Damon's icy blue eyes and then the defensive reflex he had had to rely on for so long kicked in. The instinct to brush her off, to shut everything down, and just forget how to feel. She had been pushing him for two and a half years to care, to show her that he was capable of feeling, and as soon as he had learnt to let her in she had crushed all that progress with her stupid fears.

He had gone back to random acts of violence for kicks apparently if Kol's broken neck was any proof. He'd reverted to his old self on the outside, but inside she knew that he was still there, had always been there. A man who felt with all his being and had received nothing but hurt and criticism for his efforts. She would felt it when he'd kissed her those few weeks ago. The passion that he had poured into that moment was like seeing his soul, feeling the goodness that was there and that was being brought out more day by day and yet the darkness was there as well. The desperate need to be accepted, to be loved in return. That kiss had kept her up all night wondering just why she hadn't noticed any of these things before.

She'd hurt too many people tonight. It was too late to fix Stefan and she still was not entirely sure what to do about the Original family now that her blood had been spilt and surely the binding spell done by now. There was one person though that she needed to make amends with tonight. Damon. She needed to apologize. If she let the sun come up on what she'd said it would make this night real, and how she wished to just forget it completely!

She grabbed her car keys from the kitchen counter top and made her way to the front door closing it slowly shutting the silent house up for the moment and vowing that it would not always be this way. One day there would be laughter again, there would be life. She would not become Katherine, pushing everyone who could mean something away from her. She was starting with Damon.

This long night was about to get even longer, but she owed at least this much to the brother who would always choose her, who would never leave, or at least she hoped that was still the case.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> I will be continuing this regardless of what happens on the new Episode tomorrow night! This will deal with the aftermath of Damon/Rebekah and also with the bond of the Original family. Probably going to be at least 10 chappies long. Please let me know what You think! Reviews make my day!


	2. I Came And I Was Nothing

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TVD! If I did…well… 3x14 would have been a bit different. And Ian would have been naked :D The title _The Enemy _and lyrics are property of the lovely band Mumford and Sons and not moi.

**AN: **This chapter starts off in Elena's POV like the first chapter, but will quickly shift for the remainder of this chapter to Damon's POV after the break. Thanks so much to everyone who has put this story on alert and to Polia for being my first reviewer! I tried to reply back but was being difficult. I appreciate everyone's lovely support of this story!

**The Enemy **

**By: MsBigBad**

**Chapter 2: I Came And I Was Nothing**

_But I came and I was nothing  
>Time will give us nothing<br>So why did you choose to lean on  
>A man you knew was falling? <em>

_The Enemy- Mumford and Sons_

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><p>When she arrived at the boarding house, the lights were all off and she noticed that Stefan's car was not in its usual spot, which meant he was probably not home yet. She was surprised at the relief that she felt by that fact. Throwing herself at him a few hours ago and then coming to beg his brother's forgiveness now would have been a little degrading, though she would have had no one to blame but herself.<p>

As she threw the front door open she called for Damon. Her voice echoed eerily through the silent and apparently deserted house. He was probably at the Grill drinking himself to death, or at least trying to. It would be no use going out to find him, as she was sure it would mean a very public scene that she just didn't have the energy for at the moment. She found herself wandering into his bedroom to wait for him, and possibly try to think of something to say to fix or at least band-aid the wounds she had made tonight until they had time to heal. When she arrived, she was not prepared for the scene that lay before her.

Damon's room looked like a cyclone had hit it. Furniture was overturned, there were cracks in the wall were someone had obviously been thrown against it, and Damon's shirt from the ball lay in shreds on the floor. What had happened here? And more importantly were was Damon?

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><p>He'd come back from his reflective, what the hell happened tonight quarry visit to the knowledge that someone was in his house. Not just anyone either, Elena. The very bane of his existence tonight was in his house probably looking for either his brother to bring back from the darkside or for himself to apologize for tonight's thrilling events.<p>

Hey could hear her breathing. Imagine the confusion on her face when she found the boarding house empty. The concern in her voice as she called his name and found only the torn scraps of his clothing.

His encounter with Rebekah had been fierce, primal, and fast. The quick fix for both of their oppressing situations, but it had meant nothing to either of them. When they were done tearing each other down she had left without a word, and he much preferred it that way. The evidence of their feral madness littered his room, broken chairs, busted walls, rumpled sheets, and regrettably his torn shirt, which had actually cost quite a bit to be torn up so quickly.

He could hear Elena's heart quicken when she reached his bedroom, though of course she'd come to the wrong conclusion. She was scared for him. She thought he'd been vamp-napped or some other equally ridiculous circumstance.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he knew it was Elena calling to check on him. His finger swiped across the ignore option on his touch screen.

Good, let her worry about his safety for a change. Let her agonize over the stupid, rash decisions he had made, and let her find out the truth of it all. Let her heart shatter as she realized that he did not care. Not anymore. Not one iota.

He was finished playing lapdog to women who would and could never love him back with the same passion and ferocity of his own heart. He should have learnt his lesson with Katherine. One-hundred and forty-five years wasted on a lie. She never loved him. Stefan was her goal, and he was merely the price she had to pay to obtain it at worst and passable entertainment at best. She had played him. Elena was no different, though maybe her game was a little less intentional, but she had still used him, knowingly or not.

She was calling his name now and the desperation in her voice almost broke him. Almost. Rather than go rushing to her like a lovesick schoolboy though, he decided to slowly saunter through the door of his home, casually pour a drink, and wait for her to realize she was not alone.

It didn't take long before she was down the stairs and starting at him quizzically.

"Damon. Where were you? I went upstairs and I found your shirt," She held up a tattered sleeve for him to see. "I thought something had happened to you. Your room is trashed and you wouldn't answer my calls."

He took a moment to contemplate the glass of bourbon in his hand before he knocked it all back.

She kept starting at him with that mock concern written all over her face and it irritated the hell out of him. For someone who thought he was a problem a few hours ago she was pretty damn shaken up. Yet she was not nearly shaken enough for his tastes. The impulsive dick side of his personality craved to make her suffer and right now impulsive Damon was behind the wheel. He would regret it later, he always did, but hurting Elena, breaking _her_ heart was pretty much top of his to do list at the moment. He could add brood like a pansy to his agenda later when he was feeling a bit more Stefanesqe.

"Damon, are you okay?"

He couldn't help but laugh, laugh a startling crazy person laugh at her before he replied, because it was just all too damn much, and what a loaded question.

"Everything is just peachy Elena. Now go home."

He narrowed his eyes at her in his most serious stare before, pouring his glass to the brim with more of his favorite alcoholic friend. He took a short pull letting it swirl in his mouth before swallowing slowly. Unfortunately, when he looked up she was still there studying him in that annoying way of hers.

"I don't understand Damon. I get that you're mad. What I said… it was stupid. I should have never…"

"I said GO HOME ELENA." He cut her off before she could finish her faux apology.

"No." She countered, setting her jaw in pure Elena-like determination.

He'd once admired that about her, but he had no room in his head tonight to admire anything other than the blessed fact the at least he still had the balls to stand up for himself. He'd given her an easy out twice despite his silent vow to make her suffer and his self-control was waning.

'Damon tell me what happened." She demanded.

A sarcastic smirk blossomed across his face. "Nothing I didn't fully enjoy."

His eyes took in her beautiful form, the beautiful girl still wrapped in the beautiful dress that she had worn to the ball from hell. So beautiful, yet untouchable. Forbidden. He wanted to tear her down.

"Though I'm sure my brother is a stickler for missionary, slow and gentle, and with some Barry Manilow background accompaniment, so maybe rough play is a lost one on you."

"Wh…What? You slept with someone?" The hurt and confusion in her voice let him know that he'd hit his mark. Let her feel as naked as he had when she'd accused his love of being a problem.

"Rebekah." He supplied just to see how far he could push this uncaring side of himself tonight that relished in the sight of her pain.

"Oh my God! Damon, she tried to kill me not 24 hours ago and now you're having sex with her?"

"Newsflash Elena! Someone is _always_ trying to kill you! I can't be cataloging my sexual conquests by if they have ever stood in line behind the Elena kill wagon, now can I?"

"Damon." Elena nearly pleaded fighting back unshed tears. "This isn't you. Listen to what you're saying."

"Stop." His eyes flashed brilliant blue with color as she tried to psycho analyze him.

"Stop making excuses. This is me Elena. You've just forgotten what I'm like when I'm not wrapped around your finger!"

'Well you've turned into a real ass!" She screamed, finally fighting fire with fire.

"I've always been an ass. I'm just not being one that's convenient for you, that's your real problem." The remaining bourbon in his glass crashed down his throat burning its way through his veins as he waited for her response.

"Why are you doing this first Kol, and now acting out with Rebekah and rubbing it in my face. I know what I said tonight hurt you, but…"

"Oh let's not forget the snapping of my neck so you and St. Stefan could exact your diabolical plan. Now that really hurt." He said rubbing the back of his neck as he watched her squirm in guilt.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know any other way at the time. You were not going to let me anywhere near Esther without you and she wouldn't agree to that. I was stupid."

"Save your apologies Elena. It was necessary. I was a problem. I was in the way; I cared too much about your safety to let you do what needed to be done."

It wasn't as much an acceptance of the situation as it was an accusation.

"You're not a problem. I shouldn't have ever implied… but I was angry and upset about the meeting with Esther. Damon look at me." She pleaded.

Her hands came up to cup his face and he was reminded of a time very much like this one and yet completely different. Back to summer when the night was hot and her hands had caressed his skin in the same way. When she had stood in front of him as she did now in this very room and with that fire in her eyes she had given him hope. She had told him that it was okay that they would let Stefan go, that they would survive, they always survived. He'd wanted to kiss her that night so badly. His desperation had taken hold of him. Months of searching for his brother only to discover that, he didn't want to be found, months of fighting what he felt for this extraordinary woman when all he wanted was to lay it all bare. He wanted to kiss her. He would have, and he thinks she would have let him, and then Katherine had called him and ruined the moment.

This was a completely different situation, and though kissing her was never far from his mind especially after that night on her porch, that would be the easy out. He knew unrefinably that she wanted him. That she would welcome his lips, his affection even at this moment, but in the end, he would still end up with nothing. Alone. Because he was the monster, and because Stefan had come back and Elena still wanted his brother. Everyone in his entire life had always chosen his Stefan over him, why should he expect her to be any different?

The moment passed by them as it had that night months ago. The chill of the winter air drifted through the open window and he remembered what he felt that sticky, humid, summer night. When he had been a different person, and more undoubtedly a better man than he'd shown himself to be tonight upset or not. He let the moment pass and the silence surround them as he pulled from her grasp and turned away from her.

"I made a deal with Esther." She confessed all animosity forgotten for the moment.

"Of course you did." He smiled just slightly at her predictableness.

"What did you offer her you're firstborn? Because I don't think you'll have to worry about that too much with my baby brother." He rolled his eyes and collapsed into one of the leather armchairs gesturing for her to do the same as she rehashed last night's meeting with Mama Original.

"She wanted my blood."

"Did you tell her to get in line behind the rest of her family?"

"I gave it to her." She admitted looking at her feet and pushing a stand of dark hair behind her ear.

He sat a little straighter in his seat, not quite sure if he should have been surprised or not, but then again it was Elena.

"Why would she need your blood? Some sort of witchy voodoo?" Curious of whether she knew the full implications of her decision before she went slitting her wrist for Original Glinda.

"She's going to kill Klaus, but to do that she has to link all her children together. She's going to kill them Damon. All of them, and I helped her." Her voice was laced in guilt.

"Believe it or not that's actually a good thing. No more Klaus using you for his hybrid making cookbook and no more original of the week wanting to kidnap or kill you. Problem solved."

"What about Rebekah?" She challenged.

His mouth quirked into a lopsided smirk. "What about her?"

"You just slept with her and now you're just going to let her die?"

"It was sex Elena! Hot up against the wall and every other flat surface vampire sex, but don't assume I made a connection with her, other than the obvious one!" He put on a nonchalant air hoping she would get the point.

"You know what; this hasn't gone at all like I planned. I need to go."

Her heels clicked briskly toward the front door but he positioned himself in front of her faster than she could react. She collided with his chest and he took her arms by the wrists steadying her before she fell backwards.

"What Elena? You thought we were just going to kiss and make up? Make it all better?"

"No, I…" Her shoes seemed to be the only thing she could look at as she tried to formulate a response.

"You thought that I would go back to being my brother's stand in until you got the real thing back?"

"Isn't that what Rebekah was for? A blow up doll for what you can't have?" She spat back.

"I told you she meant nothing."

"Yeah, well you're still an ass!"

"Good, because I've been a whipped pansy for too long! You think that I'm sorry? You got what you wanted Elena. This,"

He gestured wildly between them with his empty bourbon tumbler.

"You and me. This means nothing to me. Isn't that what you wanted? Huh Elena? For me to stop caring so damn much unless it's convenient for you?"

"Damon stop. You're upset. We both are. We're saying things we don't mean." She tried to reason with him, but he was having none of it.

"No Elena, upset implies feeling and I refuse to feel anything for you anymore. That's one thing you can bet that I mean fully." He said before opening the door for her.

The shock on her face was evident as she slowly walked out his door and down the walk to her car.

He tried to mean his last words to her. He really did, because he'd had enough. His heart had been cut out and fed to him too many times to count in his lifetime. It was time for the pain to finally stop. So he tried furtively to ignore the niggling feeling that he would regret everything he had just declared.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Please do review, as I am a little nervous of if I took Damon's personality a bit too far in this chapter. As you may have guessed this story is now A/U as it follows none of the story line of 3x15. Also, if anyone would like to beta or can recommend a good beta for this story I would be grateful because right now it is me, spell-check, and my husband who is entirely sick of hearing about TVD by now :D


	3. And The World Will Follow

**Chapter 3: And The World Will Follow**

**By: MsBigBad  
><strong>

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TVD! If I did…well… 3x14 would have been a bit different. And Ian would have been naked :D The title _The Enemy _and lyrics are property of the lovely band Mumford and Sons and not moi. Also there is a line from one of my fav books and movies "Little Women" which I don't own just am shamelessly using cause I love it!

**AN: **OMG! How amazing and epic was "Heart of Darkness"! I'm still on a high from the ep! So sorry it's taken me so long to get this up. I've had the majority of it written for about a month , but I wanted to get a longer chapter out so you guys don't feel cheated with these small chappies. Hopefully you'll like the direction I'm going in this one. As before It's in Elena's POV first and then the last bit switches to Damon. I think I like this format and will probably stick with it from chapter to chapter! Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed, faved, and alerted!

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><p><em>And bury me beside you<em>

_I have no hope in solitude_

_And the world will follow_

_To the earth down below_

_The Enemy- Mumford and Sons_

What had she done? She had well and truly broken him. Her mind was reeling with her most recent encounter with the elder Salvatore. She didn't know if she should drive back to the boarding house and slap him or just curl up into the fetal position and cry her eyes out.

Of all the people…vampires…beings in the world, why Rebekah? Of course she couldn't even justifiably be mad at her either! After all she did literally stab the girl in the back, not to mention recently involve herself in a plan to wipe out the original and her whole entire family! So, justifiably she couldn't really get angry at her, but let Rebekah cross her path and so much as smirk in her general direction and she was pretty sure she'd have to be restrained.

It shouldn't have hurt this much. Damon wasn't… is not her boyfriend. She really shouldn't care who he chooses to grind against. It should mean as much to her as the weather forecast, something simple and dismissive that she never really thinks too much about, because God knows she has enough to angst over.

It shouldn't overtake her mind, her sight even. She could imagine him touching Rebekah, see his fingers tracing her skin, his lips caressing her body, and it made her sick. Her stomach turned at the thought. The thoughts that she should most definitely not be having. Feelings she shouldn't be experiencing. Her chest shouldn't be so tight. Her lungs shouldn't beg for air. The aching should not cripple her so. It shouldn't even be there, but it is.

She could hardly catch her breath as she drove down the highway. The first rays of sunlight penetrated the heavily clouded sky sealing the events of last night in Elena's mind for good. She wouldn't wake up from all this to find him down stairs poaching fruit from the basket even though he didn't really need to eat. He wouldn't ask her how she slept, and he wouldn't make flirty comments to her while trying to seduce her with his eyes. He wouldn't be there. Everything she said, everything he did, it was all real. And there was no going back.

She pulled her car off to the side of the road conscious of the fact that she was just too damn emotional to concentrate on driving at the moment, and that if she wrecked he wouldn't be there to rescue her this time.

No, She was running from him. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was Stefan's. She loved Stefan. That's what this whole summer had been about, rescuing Stefan. Getting her boyfriend, Damon's brother, back. And then, at some point, some time she wasn't even aware of really; somewhere along the way it had changed. It had become about them. About the way he looked at her, about what he would do for her, and how that made her feel. And now…now he didn't care. He didn't care about her anymore.

Damn him, damn him for giving in now, now when everything was so confusing for her and her insides screamed and all she could do was hold on. She'd been holding on to him through the storm. All summer he had kept her safe, kept her from breaking and falling away completely. She'd thought he'd always be there, waiting in the wings ready to weather anything with her. Waiting like he did when they searched countless hours, months, days, and excruciating seconds for her beloved Stefan. Waiting when all hell broke loose and his brother blew back into town losing his humanity bit by bit. He was there, he was there helping, steadying her. He said he's never leave her again, and she'd thought that he'd meant it. That thought hurt the most. The thought of him giving up, of not being stubborn Damon to the end, until he got exactly what he wanted. That scared the hell out of her, because all it had taken to destroy his strength were a few angered and untruthful words spilt from her own lips. She felt like Delilah watching Sampson's hair being cut as he lay sleeping, trusting her completely.

Why wouldn't he give up after that? She'd never given him reason to hope in the first place. She had shot him down every chance she had gotten. It was only a matter of time before he realized that they were never going to happen. And since when did **she **want it to happen? It was all too much, too many emotions, too much had happened and she was so tired, not only from lack of sleep, but sheer exhaustion that a person her age should not know the extent of.

She clutched the steering wheel for support as she finally let the dam break. As she finally let herself grieve for the feelings she was never meant to have for her boyfriend's brother. For her best friend, her confidant. That's what they had become. She trusted Damon with her life, she told him most everything, even simple things that shouldn't really matter. She came to him with her problems. He'd become her constant and now he was ripping himself away, out of her life. So she cried. Great gasping sobs ripped through her chest while she held onto the steering column for dear life. Rain pelted down on the rooftop of her little car and fog condensated about her windows and still she sat unmoving letting time drift on as if it didn't matter, as if nothing but the ache in her chest held any meaning.

Suddenly, there was a sharp rasp on her window that scared her out of wits. She quickly swiped at her tear-stained cheeks and turned the key, rolling the driver's side window down and painfully ignoring the sappy love song blaring on her radio. She peered into the kind blue eyes of the hooded figure and instantly recognized Matt Donovan. His ancient truck was parked a little behind her own car and she managed a slight smile as she thought of the way some things never change. Some people never change. Matt will always be as he is now, kind, concerned, and safe.

"Hey Elena, I saw your car stopped," Matt explained. "Are you having trouble? Cause I could probably take a look if you want."

She wanted to tell him that trouble didn't even begin to cover her situation at the moment, but she refrained. "Oh no, it's fine… I didn't… It's not broken. I just couldn't see you know, the rain and everything."

He didn't look like he believed her, hell she hadn't even believed her, but he didn't call her on it, he never did.

"Well, I can see just fine, and actually it's starting to let up a little. Why don't you let me take you to the Grill. I'm opening this morning so I'll fix you some breakfast. You still like Belgium waffles?"

"Yeah, actually that'd be really nice."

And it wasn't a lie. A little normalcy was just what she needed.

She climbed out of her car still wearing her rumpled dress from the night before.

"Got anything I can wear?"

"I'm sure there's a spare uniform or two, or I can just run you by your house if you want? Have you even been to bed yet?" He asked, eyes squinting and wearing his concerned face.

She thought about that big empty house waiting for her and immediately dismissed the possibility, she could stay awake for a few more hours at least.

"I'll be fine," She sighed. " As soon as I get this thing off! I've been tripping over it all night! Now c'mon we don't the star employee to be late." She teased trying to ease her friend's concerns.

"Right, ha ha very funny. Maybe you could tie some of it around your neck where it can do you some good." He joked gesturing to the low neckline of her evening gown.

He received a playful smack before she jumped into the front of his pick-up and ran a little further away from her troubles. And for once it felt good just to give up, if even for a little while.

He palmed the steering wheel with one hand and it was then that she noticed the bandage covering his hand.

"Matt. Oh my God! What happened to you?"

"Oh, this." He asked holding said arm up for her to see. "That Kol guy, Rebekah's brother you know? Went all crazy on me last night. Broke three fingers and the worst part is that my health insurance expired, or more like my mom stopped paying for it. I should have never left it up to her." He shook his head in disappointment.

Elena just sat trying to figure out how in the world she could manage to indirectly screw up her friends lives without even knowing it.

"So," he continued. "Just about every dime I'm making from now on will be going toward my unpaid medical bills!"

"That's awful. I'm sorry." She said not really knowing what words of comfort she could give.

Matt just shrugged and continued driving for a few minutes before finally replying.

"Well, it could have been worse. Probably lucky I didn't need life insurance. I mean what would a policy like that cost in this town?"

He was trying to make her laugh. Trying to let her know that it was okay, and that he didn't blame her for anything, for all the bad that had happened to him, everything that really was her fault in some way or another. She finally managed to curl her lips into a slight smile before he finally became very serious.

"I'm pretty sure he was planning on killing me, but then Damon showed up and pretty much kicked his ass for me, so…"

"Damon?" she asked in confusion.

"Yeah. He threw Kol off the balcony. I thought everyone saw it."

"I ..yeah they did. He was protecting you?" She stammered not quite knowing what to think.

"Yeah." Matt confirmed looking her dead in the eyes. He seemed to be trying to tell her more than the words that were coming from his mouth.

"Tell him thank you for me next time you see him, would you?" He asked in a way that implied that he knew more than he had let on.

"Yeah. Sure." She swallowed the lump that had seemed to form in her throat.

So Damon's attack on Kol hadn't been unfounded after all. He was protecting one of her friends from a psychopathic killer. She was afraid to tally the score of all the things she had been wrong about last night.

They spent the rest of the ride to The Grill in comfortable silence with only the radio to disturb them. Matt tended to listen to classic rock and roll stations so there were few sappy love songs to get into her already crowded thoughts as they headed on.

"You think they'll impound my car? I just kinda left there on the side of the road."

"Nah, I'll call Sheriff Forbes and let her know you'll be coming by to get it later."

"Thanks Matt." She offered as they pulled up to the back lot of The Grill.

"You're Welcome." And somehow she thought that he knew that she was thanking him for more than just the ride, or the clothes that he had promised. She was thanking him for being himself, for taking care of her, for not pushing.

He opened the backdoor for her and directed her to a box of spare uniforms that probably hadn't seen the light of day in years. She grabbed a shirt with The Grill's logo that also claimed to have the best peach cobbler in town and a pair of black slacks. Peach cobbler made her think of Damon. It was his favorite…see things like this she shouldn't know, defiantly shouldn't have been thinking about in this moment. She shook her head trying to focus on the here and now.

"I'm just gonna go…" She motioned toward the restrooms.

"Okay. I'll get started on those waffles and then you can tell me what's really bothering you." He informed waving a spatula in her direction.

She very stealthily avoided a reply by ditching into the bathrooms. The sight that greeted her in the mirror was worse than she had expected. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and lack of sleep. Her hair was flying everywhere and more than anything she just wanted to crawl into her bed and draw the covers over her head and not re-emerge for several years…or maybe ever. She quickly washed her face removing the slight traces of make-up that had managed to cling to her cheeks through the flood, and slipped into the more comfortable uniform. For the moment she would put her troubles aside, eat breakfast with Matt, avoid his knowing glances and remarks, and hopefully catch a ride back to her car with him on his break.

As she exited the Ladies room she heard Matt talking to a very familiar voice. A very formal voice at that.

"Elena." he inquired in a surprised tone.

"Elijah. What are you doing here?" She gasped clearly shocked and just a bit nervous from her misleading conversation the night before.

He held up a to go bag in explanation and it was so human it almost made her smile.

"Oh, I guess I never really pictured you as a bagel and smear kind of guy." She covered trying to sound the least bit nervous as possible.

Elijah merely smiled at her before explaining. "You're used to everyone in my family having their own agenda, and I could hardly blame you."

He took in her disheveled appearance and her party dress draped over her arm before asking " Are you feeling quite alright? You look shaken."

"I'm just tired, but thanks for pointing that out."

"I meant no disrespect. Actually I was hoping to talk with you soon."

"So much for not having an agenda. " Matt added as he casually set a plate of waffles in front of Elena. "Sit, eat." he commanded.

Elena took her seat at the bar and took a long pull from the large glass of orange juice that Matt had also lain out for her.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about Elijah?" She asked carefully pouring a generous amount of maple syrup onto her plate.

"You." He said taking the seat to her right. "And Katherine."

"Katherine?"

"Yes. Have I ever told you how alike Katerina and yourself are?"

* * *

><p>He had started to wonder why the hell he even bothered with council meetings anymore seeing as most of them already knew he was a vampire in the first place. He had a bang up of a night and he was not looking forward to a rehash of the events nor a scolding for his more theatrical moments from Carol and Liz. Not to mention his encounter with a certain doe eyed brunette this morning. As he was lost in these thoughts he almost didn't notice the abandoned car on the side of the highway. The one that belonged to that doe-eyed brunette he'd been trying in vain to stop thinking about all morning. He almost flew right by it…almost.<p>

His tires screeched and the old car swung to the side a bit as he threw it in park and ran to examine the scene. The drivers side door was flung wide open and upon closer inspection the car's contents had been strewn all over the floorboard as if someone was looking for something specific. Elena was no where to be found, though her scent clung to her scattered possessions. He immediately dialed Ric's number before remembering that he was likely still in the hospital. His fear for her overpowered his stubborn pride as he found himself frantically dialing her phone number only to hear her indie rock ringtone coming from somewhere beneath the depths of the driver's seat.

"Damn it." He swore pocketing the phone and running his hands through his hair in exasperation.

He knew he would regret his harsh words this morning. He didn't really expect it to be this soon, but he knew all the less. He couldn't get another scent with the smell of her sweet musky perfume clogging up his nostrils. Which meant he didn't know if she was attacked by a human or a vampire. There was no sign of blood so she probably wasn't seriously injured…yet.

When he found her he was either going to kiss her or kill her. He didn't know which was more appealing at the moment. Leave it to her to do something completely reckless, putting herself in danger, probably to save a lost bunny on the side of the road or something as equally pathetic and yet oddly commendable. Her personality was killing him inch by inch, driving him insane. He only hoped that he wasn't too late to save her from herself this time.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So what did you think? Next chapter we get a lot more Damon and we get to have that little conversation with Elijah


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